Review : And She Was by Alison Gaylin

"On a summer afternoon in 1998, six-year-old Iris Neff walked away from a barbecue in her small suburban town . . . and vanished.

Missing persons investigator Brenna Spector has a rare neurological disorder that enables her to recall every detail of every day of her life. A blessing and a curse, it began in childhood, when her older sister stepped into a strange car never to be seen again, and it’s proven invaluable in her work. But it hasn’t helped her solve the mystery that haunts her above all others—and it didn’t lead her to little Iris. When a local woman, Carol Wentz, disappears eleven years later, Brenna uncovers bizarre connections between the missing woman, the long-gone little girl . . . and herself."

Published : February 28th, 2012 by HarperCollins Publishers
Format : Paperback
Source : Purchased
Author : http://www.alisongaylin.com/
             https://twitter.com/#!/alisongaylin

Okay, to be perfectly honest, I bought this at Walmart. Now, that sentence doesn't mean much, but I haven't had much luck with the book section there. However, I had a giftcard for my birthday, and what better way to spend it then on books. 

But within the first 10 or so pages of And She Was, I was hooked. I couldn't fall asleep one night, long after Mike had passed out, so I picked it up, hoping to read and then head towards dreamland. That plan backfired. I got so creeped out by the end of the prologue, I had to wake Mike up and make him stay awake until I fell asleep. I rarely get that freaked out by a book, but 10 pages in? That's the kind of book this is. 

Brenna Spector is an investigator who has an extremely rare condition called Hyperthymestic Syndrome, which gives her the ability to remember every detail of every date of her life. And I do mean, every detail - sight, feel, smell, sound, and taste. This is both a blessing in her job, and a curse in life, as there are times when she can't help but relive a memory, which has affected her relationship with her now-ex-husband and daughter. 

Brenna is hired by Nelson Wentz to find his wife, Carol, who disappeared one day, leaving behind her wallet inside the neighbor's house. The house that hasn't been lived in in months, and the neighbor whose daughter also disappeared eleven years before. 

Alison Gaylin wove the suspense together perfectly. There was never too much, and there was never too little. Just when I'd say to myself, "I'm just going to finish this page and then go to bed," something else would happen and I'd be up reading for another half hour. The ending was not what I was expecting at all. I usually try to figure out who-done-it ahead of time, which is what I did in And She Was, and I was completely and totally wrong. I especially enjoyed how by the last page, all the stories, both past and present, were tied together and made sense. 

I'm definitely going to be buying the second in this series when it comes out next year. 

Also, can I just say that I pictured Trent, Brenna's assistant, as The Situation? You know, from Jersey Shore? Only smarter, of course. I loved him, he was hilarious. And I didn't think I could ever love a character like anybody off Jersey Shore, so well done Ms. Gaylin!!